Lost and Found
by Twilight Memories
Summary: [Sequel to Erased.] Desire: it is the one thing that he cannot control. It is the one thing that is his ultimate weakness and yet, at the same time, his strength. Desire for success, desire for discovery, and desire for her... [DISCONTINUED]
1. Inner Universe

_Although i'm still in a lot of planning for this story, i've finally gotten to a point where i have enough information to support myself and the writings so it would be alright to start it at last._

_And here i must say, i'm very glad this point has come, 'cause it's been boring having to just be on deviantART all the time, and being it the school season not all my friends are online, so i'm in a predicament of not having much to do. XD As much as i love drawing, i've developed a love for writing ever since i joined this site. (Hmm, why else would i put in that i might possibly like to be a writer in those lame computerized tests questioning what you wanna be when you're older?) n.n So hopefully i'll feel more entertained as i write/plan this...even if i own some pictures to people already... .-._

_M'kay, first off, the important notes:_

_**WARNING (please read all):** There will be heavy spoilers about the anime (or manga) in this fic, and i can't avoid them 'cause then i'd screw up the plot. Such spoilers involve information about characters as well as who burns whose book, what really happens in the series, etc. So unless you don't like heavy ones, i wouldn't reccomend reading this, but then i'd be sad 'cause you wouldn't be reading. XD But don't wory, i'm gonna be changing some of the stuff around so hopefully it won't be too similar. Otherwise it wouldn't be as intresting. :P_

_Oh, and in case you're reading and wondering about the title to this chapter, it's from one of the intros to the anime Ghost in the Shell. I don't watch it, but i love the intros, so i based this chapter off the song. X3 (no, there aren't any lyrics in 'ere)_

_Don't forget, there will be some unanswered questions solved from the last fic brought into this... :)_

_After all, it is a sequel._

_(/EndRant)_

_Disclaimer: Do you seriously think if i owned this i would waste my time with fanfiction of my own creation?_

_Romance/Angst/Action/Adventure_

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Lost and Found

**1**

**Inner Universe**

Love is a strange thing.

Once before, I thought I would have recognized this unique force that is supposed to be so true and pure, but now… now I wasn't so sure. In the past, I had never felt this emotion until dear Koko saved my life. Yet what she gave me was the feeling of friendship, a different type of affection compared to being attracted to someone. Koko cared deeply for me and I for her, but I had never felt a simple crush on someone or had another like me back. I was, as I had usually been, alone, in a sense.

And then Brago entered my life, but I felt nothing towards him other than hate in the beginning—I had my reasons, good ones, too. His kind had taken away the one and only person that had cared for me and showed me that my life had a meaning. I was frustrated and angry and it was his species that deserved to pay the price.

Although, sometime after he threatened to kill my beloved butler, Jii, who was now dead, I began to feel very confused. The one moment Brago began to show some sort of emotion, affection, that I began to feel differently. No longer did he act violent and crude, but instead he had a stern kindness to him that was much more calming and easier to be around.

I knew I felt different but I had no idea why. Brago is a demon and I a human; we are both of two completely different species, so why on earth did I feel this way?

But then, as fate would have it, a horrid event happened to me. After being attacked by an unknown team and badly beaten, I had my memories and personality erased. And of course it just had to happen when Brago wasn't around to protect me, while I was vulnerable. I can hold out well enough in a battle, but even someone like me can't do so well when outnumbered, especially by demons. I lost all memory of that night, and from the stories I've heard, when Brago finally did find me and took me back home, I gave him a month of hell afterwards with the new persona I obtained.

Yet… here's what confuses me: When I finally woke up from my demented state and returned to normal, I… I was in his arms with him kissing me. Hard. Naturally I pushed him away as the real shock of it all sunk in. I was angry with myself, wondering _how the hell_ that situation could have happened and _why_ I couldn't remember anything. I felt so angry and I was blinded by my emotion. Although, deep down, I was particularly frustrated because I couldn't be myself when it happened…

No, I can't think that way, it's not right! We're of two different worlds; a relationship like this shouldn't exist! So why did I feel this strange infatuation towards my fighting partner? He was merely there to help me retrieve Koko from that other damn demon's control, while my own purpose was to crown him as his world's king. I was _not_ to fall in love with a demon!

And yet… I knew I couldn't deny it—I had fallen in love with him. How it happened, I had no idea, but I don't want this, yet I do at the same time. It's not right, I can't, I just… Well, what was the point in it? We would have to leave one day, with Brago returning to his world while I remained in mine.

But… this was all too confusing… Why him of all people, or creatures, I should say, did I have to fall for? Did I do something wrong, or was it destined, as I _am_ his bookkeeper? I loathed thinking about me in a relationship with him; he seemed to hate me at times as well, so that made sense for it to not work out.

However, there was one thing I had to greatly consider and that was his desire. Of course I could recognize that he possessed it, any woman in the same situation (or bystanders in general) could spot it. The stare he now gives me is a thin mask that hides his true lust, and deep down I can't help but feel similar. How he slid down my body that one time he pushed me up against the wall…

No, this wasn't right… I needed to distract myself with some other topic. To think of a different subject matter other than _him_. I had to keep control, stay myself…

Ah, but now that it dawned on me, the night that… _that_ happened, also happened to be the very same one where Brago and I set out to go search for Zophise and Koko. In the same time where I had become myself after I woke up, the both of us encountered a team that was obviously working for that monster that possessed my friend. Evidentially he has formed an army of demons with mind-controlled humans as their bookkeepers.

When I discovered that other humans were being controlled by that demon and not just Koko, my blood began to boil. How _dare_ he… when I got the chance, I would strangle that creature to his death, giving him a very long and painful torturous time. I wanted to see him suffer by the very one he inflicted pain upon himself.

So Brago and I traveled to South America where we learned the vile creature was hiding at, somewhere deep within the Andes Mountains hidden in an ancient ruin with an army of over 40 demons for protection. The coward—using those other demons as his tools…

We acquired much of this information from a man that we soon encountered, NazoNazo Hakase, or so he was called, who was also another bookkeeper within the battle. He did not desire to battle with us, but to instead talk. I saw that he spoke the truth so I allowed this one conversation with an enemy, and soon realized he had valuable knowledge. But I knew more than he about Zophise, so in return I gave him a little of what I knew and sent him a way.

Within that conversation, though, he spoke of how he had been gathering different allies to fight against Zophise and asked us to join them. Both Brago and I declined the offer and strictly told the professor that we worked alone. Not only that, but if he and his teammates were to ever fight or go after Zophise, they would dearly pay for taking away what should be _my_ battle…

My revenge.

So Brago and I started to train harder and longer, as we knew the upcoming battle would be our toughest yet. It would be long, harsh and bitter, and there were the chances that I could hurt Koko, or possibly have to. She was not used to fighting, but I was quite positive that Zophise would have changed all that. Chances are, she was now as cold as I was while fighting…

Dear sweet Koko… What had become of you in these past months?

I hoped against hope that she hadn't forgotten the good times and moments we shared, as I knew that her own personality had been altered as well, but instead to think hatefully and despise those that were kind and helped her through life. Sad. It was hard to imagine, but I wondered if this was really true. For sure I wouldn't forget, she was the one who saved me from my attempted suicide and now I was very grateful for that, because it was her who showed me that life had a meaning after all.

Never would I forget those memories I shared with her, or the ones I would soon obtain in the future when we were happy again. We would have our lives back again, and whether I had a demon to accompany me in a painstaking path or not, for sure Koko and I would obtain our freedom once more.

But still, as I couldn't help but think about it nowadays, there was one other question I had in the back of my mind, relating to my relationship with Brago: Was this really love I had for him, or a temporary infatuation?

I was positive I would one day find the answer to that probing (and annoying) question. Whether my companion would also or not, I had no idea. One of us would, though, that was definite.

So while I waited for the time to come where Brago and I had to face off with Koko and Zophise, we would train so to acquire that success, and the one after of his future kingship. I would think on what the next days would hold as we fought more enemies and would make him stronger for his goals in life. Would we admit to our emotions or not, that I also didn't know, but as for now, time was on hold.

But sometimes those pauses in life had to be appreciated, in order to stay sane.


	2. Longing

_THE EMAIL WORKS, THE EMAIL WORKS! n.n (does a happy dance) Well... kinda. Now it just started acting funny again. (GR) Right. Need to work on that bit. . Anyway, since it is now functional again, here's an updated chappy..._

_Oh, and i must say, but this story is gonna go into the action a LOT quicker than the previous one. This is just a filler chapter 'cause those are required at times, you know. :D Not to mention that instead of having Humor as part of the minor genres for this story, the replacement is Action/Adventure, as you probably saw last chapter. There'll be a little more fighting in it, obviously. X3 Just not QUITE yet..._

_And i'm also VERY happy right now. The new .hack game (.hack//G.U.) that i've been waiting for, for over a year, finally came out yesterday and i'm rather eager to get it! But i won't 'til Xmas... (sob) Or the new Zatch Bell game... Or a scanner... x.x_

_Anywho, i'm just eager to get to the later chapters, as i have so much FUN stuff planned for our favorite dark duo:3 Heheheheh..._

_Disclaimer: I've said it before and i'll keep saying it: I do not own Gash Bell, 'cause if i did, i'd be rich and i could do whatever i wanted with Brago and Sherry (muwaha!). So back off and have fun reading this here chappy:3_

_Can anyone remember where Sherry's dream came from?_

_Romance/Angst/Action/Adventure_

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**Lost and Found**

**2**

**Longing**

_I lay helplessly on the lush, grassy ground, my arms tightly pinned to the side as I stared into the deep crimson eyes of my demon companion, who was right over me. I sucked in a breath, murmuring, "What are you doing…?" just slightly, but my question only caused him to smirk before he leaned forward, harshly capturing my lips with his own_

_Jerking just slightly, I felt my expression suddenly twist into a mix of pain and enjoyment as he began to toy with me, his tongue already brushing over my mouth, forcing itself into the space that I really couldn't tell as to whether it was willingly provided or not. When I gasped through the kiss he'd move harder until I felt numb and all coherent thoughts were blocked from my mind, I couldn't tell what was happening._

_I gasped for air when he stopped shortly after, removing his face from mine so I could no longer feel the heat of his breath beat against my face. Opening my eyes, I stared at his face; there was a content smirk placed upon his ash-pale features, something that I was quite used to seeing, but then the next thing I knew he was scolding me and walking away. Without realizing what I was doing, I let my arm rise into the air as I reached out to his disappearing form, walking down the hill._

_I was sad, my heart lurched as he left me; I didn't want him to go, so I called out to him, my hand pretending to grasp around the fading away silhouette of his body as he walked away…_

"Brago…"

I was immediately jolted awake by the startling sound of my voice abruptly slicing the silence within the air, leaving my azure eyes wide in confusion. I stared in front of me for a second, not quite realizing what had just happened, but after a moment I felt my features relax just slightly and I sighed.

A dream, it was just a dream…

But what kind of dream tormented you with something you could never shake your mind off of? My companion was something that fit into that subject quite well. What was I to do, love him or hate him? In the beginning, I despised him because of what his kind did to my best friend and I, separating us in the most painful way possible; but when he started to show compassion and kindness, I began to see a side of him that I had never seen before…

It suddenly dawned on me that my arm was outstretched, my palm open as if I had been reaching for something. At that, I quickly pulled my arm back to my body and noticed that it was cold from being exposed to the chilling air-conditioned room and separated from the warm covers draped over my body.

A sense of longing… just like in my dream…

I sighed, afterwards burying my face into the side of the pillow for a moment, enjoying the remaining warmth that lingered on the surface of the fluffy white material, when I realized that a different presence was in the room…

Turning my head to the side, I noticed that my companion was standing by the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest with a small scowl on his face as he leaned against the wall, his eyes staring right into mine.

A chilling sensation shot down my spine as I stared at the form of Brago as he merely stood there, not even moving an inch. Brushing some of my golden hair out of my face, I turned around and sat up, not at all tearing my gaze away from his.

"How long have you been standing there?" I inquired hesitantly, moving my legs around just a little to get more comfortable. The cold spots in the sheets felt good but they made me shiver once again, despite the fact that it was summer.

"Long enough to hear you talking in your sleep," responded the demon curtly and I felt an outbreak of a blush form upon my cheeks. So how long had he been watching me? I was positive that he had most likely heard me call out his name, though it made me wonder just what he had been thinking at the time… Why was he there in the first place?

His eyes showed it all, as much as I knew he hated to admit it, those orbs really were a true reflection of his thoughts. It had become an involuntary habit of mine to study his expression and what he could possibly thinking at certain times. Although it was quite obvious he hated it when I did that, but I really couldn't help myself—his character was just too interesting and I wanted to know more about him, to see what was on his mind.

At the present moment he looked somewhat impatient, but as I've noticed for some time now, a new emotion had been added to his train of thoughts: desire. How long had it been there, I had no idea. A month of my memory had been erased from my own mind and I couldn't recall a thing that had happened within that time span, other than being attacked in the beginning and waking up at the very end, only to find myself in the heat of a _very_ intimate moment…

Sitting up on the bed, I tried to brush off those thoughts, but unfortunately for me, that was just about all I had been thinking of lately. I knew that deep down, I longed for a moment like that again…

Just like Brago, it was something I too desired.

Oh, and don't _tell_ me that he _didn't_ want this, I was smarter than I looked and had a keen eye on things, and I knew how to read the demon's mind quite well in certain situations, just as he was as adept and skilled at interpreting my own. Although I believed him to be the more skilled of us two, one still couldn't tell me that he didn't feel lust.

"Hurry and get up, we need to start training for the day," I looked up at Brago as he said those words. "You've wasted enough time sleeping, so let's get a move on." With that, he left the room, leaving me scowling at him as he closed my door. The nerve of him! Oh, well, that was to be expected from him, I was somewhat used to his impatient antics anyway, although it never ceased to annoy me.

After that, I yawned, stretching my arms behind my back; I was already tired for the day, even if I had just woken up. Removing the warm covers from my body, I scooted to the edge of the bed, letting the cold air from the air conditioning beat against my face. This hotel kept the rooms way too cold…

Standing up, I walked over to the window where the soft light of the morning gently penetrated into the room. Brushing away the white curtains, I looked outside and saw that the sun was still rising. _Hmph, and he said I wasted all this time sleeping! It's not even close to noon yet!_

Turning around, I walked over to where the chest of drawers was and began to organize my belongings. I didn't bring much with me but enough to last a long trip. A lot of times, I would bring something to a hotel, leave it there, and then go out and travel for a while and then eventually come back and spend a night or two there. This was one of those occasions.

And then not long ago, Brago and I had faced another demon time, but this time they were different—they were a team from a thousand years ago. Just like that old man Nazonazo Hakase had mentioned; there were millennium teams everywhere now.

But they were no match for Brago and I—at first we thought that they would prove to be a little bit more challenging than the current demons in the war, but we were mistaken, and Brago's thirst for a real battle was never really that satisfied. But the night where I regained my memory, I recalled that we were both badly beaten up when I came to. I had never bothered to question why…

There was something he wasn't telling me about that night…something had happened and I would very much like to know what. Evidentially, we had been in some sort of fight, but I highly doubted it was with each other, most likely a mamono battle. There was a team involved, and I recalled the next day reading about a death that had occurred nearby to where we had been staying.

Did…did that death involve us?

I didn't want to harm any of the humans within this battle. They were the ones brought into this without any warning or preparation—something was very wrong about that! If I found out the death of that human girl was really related to us… I wouldn't know what to do. Brago wasn't speaking, so I found him unreliable in that case.

Speaking of a harmed human, we were to go after Koko and that bastard Zophise in a couple of days… About a week ago, Brago and I had come into the town that just so happened to have the other groups, mainly including the child of the red book, Gash Bell, and his human partner, Takamine Kiyomaro.

We had been spying on them from a distance and it just so happened that the day we planned to go after Zophise was the exact same one they decided on, coincidentally. How ironic, but I guess I would have to live with it; yet I had warned that old man to not get in our way, and they had better not, even when ignoring our warning!

Making sure the door to my room was locked so Brago wouldn't decide to barge in for some unknown reason, I turned around and then began to get dressed into my elegant white gown. My pink one had been too dirtied this past trip so it was time I changed my attire. Besides, I had always liked this one best, but I never wanted to trash it too badly, so I usually wore it on special occasions.

Well, this certainly was a special occasion coming up: Zophise was going down and Koko would soon be freed. The long awaited battle was near, and I couldn't wait to strangle that demented creature with my own hands. _Koko, I'm on my way for you!_

So I finished getting dressed, made sure everything was ready for the day, unlocked the door, and then headed out into the other room to greet the dark mamono.


	3. Prepare Yourself

_Aww... nobody could guess what Sherry's dream came from; it was a different version of the incident in the last chapter of Erased. D:_

_But anywho... Yes! I can finally kick up the pace! Now that i've gotten quite a few more ideas down for this story for future chapters, i can start working on this more frequently! Love me for that xD Heh._

_Um, yeah, evidentially, the fight with Koko and Zophise will be the first major battle in this story. n.n' Hee, hope you don't mind. Not that you'll have much choice in the matter, 'cause it's gonna happen anyway :3_

_Yeah, um, s'nother filler chapter, kinda, but the action starts next chapter, promise you all! I just had to get this done so that way it could lead on into the Zophise-Fight Ark. :D_

_So, enjoy this and i'll update whenever i can, which should hopefully be soon!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Gash Bell, haven't y'all figured that out yet?_

_Romance/Angst/Action/Adventure_

_P.S.--Watch the two Gash Bell movies if you haven't already! They're pretty awesome! Just go to YouTube :3_

_Oh, and **anonimize**, you're very lucky. I'm just getting the game for Christmas. n.n;_

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Lost and Found

**3**

**Prepare Yourself**

I stood upon the high balcony connected to our room in the hotel, gazing down at the landscapes before me. It was midday and about a few minutes ago, Brago and I had temporarily come back from training, although that would change here in another minute. The only reason for our short return was we were taking a break from training and were going to spy on the other team very quickly before going back to our session of preparing ourselves for the next day ahead.

Tomorrow, it would all change tomorrow, I told myself, staring down at a couple of people walking off in a different direction down the street. Tomorrow, the long awaited battle would begin, and I would finally be able to free dear Koko!

Not to mention I would manage to get a few good blows to that bastard's face—the one that had taken possession of my dear, sweet savior and friend.

_Zophise…_

"Sherry."

Brago's unusually deep voice awoke me from my thoughts as I turned around, only to be met by his sharp crimson gaze as he stood behind me. I watched as he walked up to the side of the balcony as well, resting his right hand upon the edge, and looked down at everything before him.

Mirroring his actions, I too looked across the land and could barely see the large tower in the background, hidden behind a vast view of the lush, green trees of the forest. There was where Koko and Zophise were located, along with the other remaining millennium demons. Not too many were left, though there was still a decent amount to prove a problem for some, though Brago and I weren't included in that small amount. We could take them on. I knew we could.

After all, as time went by after I regained my original personality and memory back (not including that one month), Brago seemed to be growing in power quite rapidly, but then again, so was I. Though there came the probing question if the dilemma of me having a different persona held back our strength when fighting. Very curious, although the fact that Brago and I trained relentlessly all day long certainly helped. Most likely, he was trying to make up for the time we lost during that one-month time period. Then again, we would have trained like this either way, but still, it helped.

"Are you ready to go yet?" came Brago's voice once again, and I didn't turn to look at him. Instead, I continued to stare out yonder from where I was, mulling over what he said in my brain as if it were some kind of riddle, just for the heck of it. I could feel his dark eyes upon me, so I finally nodded my head.

"Hai," I murmured and turned around. He seemed to like that answer, for I could hear him smirk before he stalked off ahead of me. Always the impatient one… But then again, I wasn't exactly feeling entirely patient myself. The battle I had been waiting for since this war started was less than a day away and I wanted to get it over with, and fast.

-o-o-o-o-o-

We were hidden within a small but convenient car I had rented with darkened windows and a not-too-suspicious design. I didn't want to have an overly decorated car, just when we were going to keep an eye on the other teams. That would draw unwanted eyes, perhaps even from the enemy.

There was a wall separating Brago and I from the driver within the car, which I always enjoyed having. It couldn't be helped that Brago and I were on a mission that the normal people of Earth did not know of, and that talk about it in public could sometimes lead to unwanted viewers or questions. We tried to keep our profile low. Besides, it was a good way to have a surprise attack upon our enemies; they could be wiped out easier that way. I was no true strategist, but this I knew could happen.

For the most part, the car ride was quiet; neither Brago nor I were talking (though I really didn't expect him to). We didn't need any distractions as we searched for the other team, though they shouldn't be too hard to spot. I simply wanted to know if they had left earlier than scheduled, though I highly doubted it. Still, I wanted to reassure myself that they were still here.

Sometime into our quick drive through the streets, Brago spotted someone. "Over there," he murmured, "by the street corner."

I turned to look too, and sure enough, there was one of the mamono teams that Gash Bell was most likely paired up with, merely standing there, though what I saw was rather… peculiar.

The human was a female while the demon was male, nothing strange about that, but what was, was the fact that they were holding hands. Their book was a soft lilac color that was almost as light as the demon's white hair. The two were smiling… seemingly having a good time…

"That's one of them all right," I breathed quietly and Brago eyed me suspiciously. The car came to a stop as the streetlight turned red, prohibiting us from moving any further temporarily. This enabled us to get a good look at the other team.

"Well, we know that they're still here," said Brago quietly as he redirected his gaze back to the other team, who was now walking in a different direction. "Most likely they'll head out tomorrow as well."

"Yes, but at what time?" I asked out loud, not really to Brago, but more to myself. I was too busy musing over the sight I had just seen in my mind. _So there's another human and demon team that have some sort of relationship together…? It's not just me…?_

In the meanwhile, my own demon partner turned around, an annoyed expression fixed upon his features. "How the hell should I know? In any case, we should leave early tomorrow to get a head start."

"Right…" I said softly, still lost in thought. The light switched and the car slowly jerked forward as we moved along back down the road, heading away from the other team. My eyes remained fixed and lingered upon the two as they walked down the sidewalk, still hand-in-hand, out of sight.

Right…

-o-o-o-o-o-

The next day I knew that everything would be different from then on. It felt as though I had swallowed a pound of ice when I woke up that morning, as my stomach seemed to have become alive, but I knew it was simply anxiety. I was nervous, and yet at the same time, I felt an overwhelming amount of confidence…

As soon as I ate my small breakfast and mused to myself some more, I felt the faith within myself return as I continued to contemplate the day ahead. I knew that we would win…

It was just a matter of time.

Brago and I headed out to the sweeping forests and headed towards the tower. I looked up at how tall it was but didn't bother to stand and admire the large piece of art that the thing truly was. Inside this building, someone very precious was waiting for me, and I had to go retrieve her from the darkness, just as she had done to me when I was younger. We would finally find ourselves out of the dark tunnel we were entrapped in, Koko and I. Because today…

…Zophise was going down.


	4. Around We Go

_You know what's REALLY beginning to bug me to no end? People who think that 'mamono' is a common mistake everyone makes when the "real" term is "mamodo". Don' t they realize that there IS a Japanese version and SURELY different terms? -.-+ (vein)_

_What makes me say so? Just simply browsing the sight, reading reviews from ignorant people. No, they're not stupid, i mean 'ignorant' as they can LEARN there's a Japanese version, but seemingly they won't. Feh._

_Eh, don't mind me, i've had a sucky two days. D: First comes me having to write this epic poem in English in a matter of one night (which i gaffed off the ending to it and decided to put it all together in 1st perdiod th enext day, as it's due in 2nd), only to make it a whopping TEN PAGES. x.x Plus the ending sucks. No questions. Oh, and then there's this test i had today that i didn't exactly study for... But let's not go into that, m'kay? M'kay._

_And i'm sure there were some other things i was gonna say about that but i just went braindead._

_And i really don't find it fair that YouTube has BOTH Gash Bell movies, almost ALL of the Gash Bell episodes subtitled in English, but NOT episodes 92-98! T-T If i'm wrong, please tell me, as i'm just DYING to see them! x.x_

_Anywho... yes, non-filler chapter time! The action finally starts and i really DO hope you enjoy this._

_Disclaimer: Gash Bell is not mine whatsoever, it belongs to the genious Makoto Raiku, not some irritated highschool freshman who simply writes fanfiction and draws fanart!_

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Lost and Found

**4**

**Around We Go**

Into the ruins we went.

I had to say one thing: whatever ancient civilization had constructed this thing had done a very good job. Especially if they meant to make people lost, because I felt rather confused as to where I was going when Brago and I entered. He seemed to be doing just fine, but if it were just myself on my own, surely the end would have been found towards late afternoon. I had no idea how one could find their way through here, but luckily Brago had a keen sense of finding other demons, which was an advantage to finding the others.

The structures of the ruins were large and magnificent. The walls were a golden brown and sometimes lined with ivy as well as decorated with ancient drawings. Everything was purely amazing for being so old, but there was no time to stop and stare in awe at the mighty structure. I had a mission to accomplish and sightseeing wasn't it.

_Koko… dear, sweet Koko! I'm coming for you!_

Our footsteps echoed in the empty hallways of the old building and our shadows danced along the walls when we passed a couple of lit torches every now and then as we ran deeper. Brago took the lead, of course, and he seemed to know where he was going.

I watched the back of his head as we both ran forward and I mused to myself about the upcoming battle. How long would it last? Would Koko's mind be freed during it, or would it be a delayed reaction? So many things… What would I do after the battle?

That last question, however, I already knew. As soon as Koko was freed from Zophise's mind trap, all of my power would no longer be dedicated to freeing her, but to making Brago the king. I would do so no matter _what_!

So we continued to run forward, deeper into the gigantic ruins hidden in the forest. There came to a point where it was so quiet, I couldn't help but speak up.

"Brago?" I called from behind, and I received a grunt as an answer. "Do you sense any mamono nearby?"

"There's a couple nearby," he said, "Perhaps they'll be a good way to find the path to Zophise. All that must be done is to defeat them."

I smirked upon hearing his words. Defeat them, oh, how easy that would be. These millennium demons were no match for Brago and I; that was already proved. All of them were so stupid and stuck up, they thought they could defeat us!

Finally, we eventually came to an opening where there was a large door. Brago and I walked forward, keeping our guards up as we looked around the stone room. To the side were two millennium mamono, guarding the next entrance to the door. Once their beady eyes landed upon us, they shrieked and put up their defenses.

"Intruders!" one shouted, "There's more intruders! Fight them, fight them!!"

More intruders? I thought to myself, Brago almost seeming to be wondering the same thing, though I couldn't really tell. So, Gash and the others were here first…? Interesting. We had better pick up the pace!

"Human!" the other shouted, "Cast a spell, now!"

The human, possessed, no doubt, was a boy probably a few years younger than myself. His white eyes turned in our direction and he nonchalantly murmured a spell.

"_Gokurosen."_

His mamono, a small thing he was, raised his hands in the air as they immediately grew ten times their original sized, and then launched them in mine and Brago's direction.

I decided to not cast a spell, but instead instead, to just save strength. So I turned to look at Brago with a nod as he smirked, jumping toward the flying fists with a quick pace. Right before the spell hit him, though, he kicked away the attack and sent them flying in the opposite direction, right towards the other mamono.

They shrieked in surprise and at Brago's power as he leapt upon them, punching the other demon that hadn't used a spell while the other's own attack hit them head-on. He didn't bother to turn and look at me but instead shouted, "A spell!"

I nodded briefly before yelling, _"Reisu!"_ which caused a small gravity ball to shoot out of Brago's palm, hitting the mamono's book directly, setting it aflame. In the meanwhile, the other mamono, who had been hit by his own spell, was already disappearing as his book was burnt from the blast. A moment later, the other left as well, both books leaving only ashes where they remained. The two humans lay on the ground, knocked out.

"Hn, if this is all they have to offer, then this will be easy to find our way," muttered Brago as he shoved his hands in his pockets while I stepped forward. "Obviously there's only mamono in the important sections of the ruins. If we follow the path, we can find the others."

I nodded in agreement. "Right. Now we just have to find them, is all. Do you sense any others?"

"A few," he responded and said nothing more. Again, I nodded my head and we took off once more, only to find ourselves in another battle with another paired up mamono group.

We ended the battle easily, but soon found more fights to come. One after the other, all we did was entered room after room with pair after pair. It was getting very tiresome. I wanted to fight _Zophise_! Not these mamono!

For a while, there weren't any other demons, but instead, just a long hallway that contained open windows with no glass. I could see the town where we came from and some mountains not too far off. _Damn it! Just where were we headed?_

Soon it came to a point where I felt myself becoming extremely impatient. After about ten more minutes of just walking, I growled in frustration and threw my hands up in the air.

"Just where are we going? This is pointless, Koko could have been freed by now!" I said in irritation as I glared out the window. Brago stopped walking and turned his head towards me.

"Well, if you think _yelling_ will solve the problem, then yell as much as you please. But _I'm_ going to find him somehow," he said with a slight frown. I felt the anger boiling up inside me as I clenched my fist.

"_You'll_ find him? I should say we _both_ will! Don't think you're the only one who can do things around here, Brago."

"I never said that, just simply that I'd find him." He turned his gaze away from mine for a moment before slowly beginning to walk ahead. "Now, let's get moving!"

"Fine!" I said heatedly. Before joining him in the run, however, I hit the side of the wall with my fist and a sudden shake began to occur. My eyes widened as Brago turned around and looked at me with a 'what did you do _now_?' look. I turned to the stone slab in the wall I hit and was surprised to see it was going back _in_ the wall. Not only that, but so were the others surrounding it. Soon as the shaking stopped, I stared in slight bemusement at the open space I had unintentionally created.

I hit a secret door…

Stepping forward, I looked within the space and saw that there was light shining up above, while leading up to it was a flight of stairs. Turning to stare back at Brago, I told him of my discovery and he too came forth.

"Let's follow it," he commanded sternly and I nodded my head, only to fall back behind again as my dark companion once more took the lead. For a few minutes, we headed up the long stairway of steps, but as we climbed higher, the light grew brighter and brighter, and I had to wonder, was this the roof?

Soon we found ourselves at an open passageway, where the light was being emitted. I squinted my eyes just a little as both Brago and I walked through the open door into the light, only to find ourselves on a stone rooftop.

Glancing out below, I saw the vast, green forest that surrounded the ruins we stood on, and up above, I could see the shape of the top dome of the said structure. I looked around and breathed in the fresh air, only to turn around and stare at Brago.

"We made it this far. Now what?" I inquired, and he inspected the area a little more. Then, his eyes widened, and he ran towards the edge of the balcony which we were on and rested his hands on the edge. My interest then peeked.

"What?" I said, mimicking his actions as I too ran over to where he stood. Down below, some ways down, I could see a bunch of millennium demons rise into the air and land on a lower balcony as they surrounded a couple of teams.

The teams, I realized, were none other than Gash Bell himself and one other I didn't recognize. They were all huddled together as the demonic force came closer, while more allies (this time winged and flying) came forth from in the air to our right. But as I gazed at the scene, that's when I realized just _who else_ was amongst the crowd.

Floating within the air near the edge of the balcony dressed in a white cloak with odd designs was none other than the one I hated most. It was the despised creature known for manipulating hearts and controlling innocent humans' minds. He stood there, laughing wildly at the sight before him, taking no notice of Brago and I.

The _one_ being that I despised with all of my heart with an utter and undying passion, hovered in the air before my eyes, laughing like he did that one night I first met him.

_Zophise_.


	5. Fight on the Ruins

_Hmmn... the FFnet email doesn't seem to be working again... -hasn't gotten any email from FFnet in a week-. GAH! Why must we be tortured this way??! DAMMIT... this sucks._

_But... on another note... even if y'all probably didn't get my review replies (yet), i still updated. :D -does a dance- Sorry if it's not all that good, but i absolutely hate writing fight scenes. 'Tis a reason why i have not updated in so long. .-. I have absolutely no inspiration to write when i have to do battles, so i tend to not update as quickly. But as soon as the story gets out of the fight scenes and into the more kinky stuff, i'll update quicker. :3_

_Oh, and i know it's extremely late by now, or at least somewhat, but happy belated new year and Christmas! xD I finally got that .hack//G.U. game i wanted and a scanner:3_

_Oh, and a lil' spoiler about the story... okay, not spoiler, but whatever: Kiyomaro and Gash will make more than one appearance, not just in the Zophise ark. :3 Kiyomaro also becomes suspicious of Brago and Sherry's relationship, nyeheheh!_

_.-.;;;; Right, anyway... Read on, if you insist, and happy reviewing. :3_

_Disclaimer: What gave you the incredulous thought that i actually owned something as great as Konjiki no Gash Bell?_

* * *

**Lost and Found**

**5**

**Fight on the Ruins**

My heart rapidly beat against my chest upon seeing that wretched demon hovering there in the air, laughing as a swarm of mamono crowded around Gash Bell and his group from the ground as well from the skies. Suddenly, one of the demons riding on the back of one of the winged ones shouted some orders and the next thing I knew, everyone was attacking the group below.

I snapped out of my trance as Kiyomaro, Gash's bookkeeper, screamed a curse as he and the others began to run from the energy blasts. Out of instinct, I grabbed the black book and opened it to a page, calling out a spell.

"_Aian Gurabirei!"_

Brago whipped out his hand as he sent a powerful blast of gravity headed directly towards the blasts, dispersing them with our power and protecting the other group. Everyone turned around to see where the sudden blast of gravity came from as I closed the black book, ending the spell.

"Let's go," I said as Brago nodded with a smirk and we both jumped, landing on the next lowest floor of the ruins, which wasn't too far below.

We both landed on the hard surface of the next rooftop and everyone redirected their attention to where Brago and I now stood. Turning my gaze upon every one of them, I then glanced in Zophise's direction and smirked while he shot back a nasty glare. As I glanced around, a sudden wind swept past us, blowing my hair and dress as well as Brago's cape. One could easily tell everyone was shocked to see us.

Well, it was certainly somewhat of a shock to see _them_. Didn't think that they would really come this early like Brago and I did… Even though we _did_ get lost. Oh, well, it didn't matter. They could always be _pushed_ out of the way…

I watched silently as Gash then realized the situation and turned back around, shouting at his bookkeeper and questioning if he was all right. Along with him ran a mamono I had never seen before. He resembled somewhat of a horse, or perhaps a unicorn from a child's fairytale book. But as the two ran over to their bookkeepers, I could see the unfamiliar demon transform into what I assumed was his normal form; he was a simple horse-demon.

Then I noticed there was an unconscious human with a pink scarf to the side where their bookkeepers were, which caused me to wonder if there had been another team here previously. No doubt they lost.

Turning my gaze directly downwards, I then noticed the height we were up at was very far up… in fact, too far up for me to jump. Turning around, I redirected my gaze to my own mamono partner and inquired what we do.

He smirked before murmuring, "Easy." I stared at him blankly, not quite understanding what he meant. But before I could question him, he suddenly slipped his arm around my waist, making me suppress a large blush (to which I rather failed at) as he jumped, taking me with him.

I had to get a better grip upon his book and the decorated staff I had brought along with me for fighting as he jumped. A strange feeling settled in my stomach as we seemingly soared through the air and then landed on the ground with an unusually gentle _tip-tap_, directly in front of Gash Bell and his companions. Brago then let go of me, but I could have _sworn_ he was almost feeling the side of my waist, as his hand lingered there much too long and brushed against my side, causing me to blush even deeper.

Don't think such thoughts Sherry, no matter how nice it feels… 

There was a small moment of silence as I felt myself tensing somewhat, but I relaxed as soon as the silence ended when I heard the familiar, high-pitched voice of a young demon boy behind me.

"It's you!"

The eager and full-of-excitement voice, one of which could only belong to none other than Gash Bell himself. I released the breath I realized that I had been holding and turned around to face the blonde-headed child and couldn't help but weakly smile as he beamed back at me.

"So… you're still alive, child of the red book?" I murmured with a ghost of a smile tracing across my lips. I could sense the happiness radiating off this child, it was almost overwhelming at how he could be so cheerful at such intense moments.

"Unuu!" he said bubbly with a nod of his head. "And Sherry is alive too!"

My faint smile lingered, but I felt that the chatting needed to end. The urge to defeat Zophise was also becoming overwhelming, and the fact that he was hovering overhead, staring down at us, did _not_ help.

"Have you come to help us?" questioned Kiyomaro with a hint of hope within his voice. At this, my smile changed to a smirk, and I turned my head away for a moment to where I caught Brago's gaze. There was a slight pause. "H-have you…?"

"Sorry," I murmured, "but no."

Brago seemed to sense what I was aiming for, as he took a step forward and raised his hand into the air. Everyone else let out a surprised gasp as I called out the first spell: _"Reisu!"_

A bright, purple ball of spiraling gravity formed in Brago's palm and he sent out the powerful blast towards the four allies. They all shrieked as the energy pushed them backwards towards the other end of the rooftop as they swept past all the different groups of millennium mamono. The spell landed and they were thrown down, sprawled out on their backs as they glanced up to where Brago and I stood.

Looking down, I picked up the unconscious human that was on the ground by the scruff of his back shirt, dragging him with me as I walked towards Gash Bell while Brago silently followed.

Throwing the human down next to the dumbfounded group, I took my staff that I was carrying and gave it a motioning swing into the air. The lustrous, green jewel atop the rod detached but stayed connected with a rope attached to the end. Swinging it again, I dragged the said hard jewel upon the ground, creating a long, distinguished line.

As the dust cleared, the jewel reattached to the top of the staff and I turned to look at the group with a stern look, my smile completely gone.

"W-what's this?" stammered the Japanese boy in front of me as he looked up at me with curious, chocolate brown eyes.

"_This_ is the line you shall stay behind," I said shortly, "unless you want to die."

Kiyomaro paled a little as he blinked while I turned away. "_Matte_! What do you mean by that? Tell me! Sherry! _Sherry!!_"

I walked over and stood next to Brago, turning to look at him in the eye with a blank expression. His deep red orbs locked with my blue and I had to suppress another blush as I tensed. I still hadn't really gotten over him holding me like that…

Though suddenly I could sense someone staring at me from behind, and when I turned to look, Kiyomaro flinched and immediately redirected his gaze. _Did he notice…?_

"Sherry," murmured Brago lowly and I too somewhat jumped, though I immediately regained my composure afterwards. He looked at me funny before saying, "Let's go."

"…Right." I nodded my head in confirmation as my companion turned around to face the millennium teams we had been ignoring for a few minutes. They had all been staring at us with odd expressions, some in disbelief, but the only demon that had been staring at us the hardest was none other than Zophise. At this, I couldn't help but smirk. He was going down…

"So this is how you want to play, huh, Miss Sherry?" called out the demon from above, and I glared at him harshly as he smirked, chuckling lightly as well. "All right then. Attack them, my thousand-year-old warriors! Kill them off!"

A sudden uproar was then heard in the direction of the millennium mamono and Brago and I turned to look. All of them, each one a different shape, size, and color, were stampeding towards where we stood.

My companion smirked as I took out his black book, opening it to a page. And right on cue, a spell was called out from the crowd as a demon that almost resembled a hammerhead shark shot a powerful spell in our direction that almost resembled a pyramid, while another simply shot out a powerful blast of pink energy.

I took a step back, shouting, _"Aian Gurabirei!"_ as Brago jumped forward, shooting out the powerful gravity blast to cancel out the spells.

"You idiots, that's not how we're going to play!" shouted Zophise with irritation. "I summoned you all for a reason, now go fight them together with your numbers! Overwhelm them with your power!"

With that, they all nodded, and more spells were being called out. I grasped onto the black book tighter as they all rushed out towards where we stood. _"Girudoruku!"_ one of the mind-controlled humans called, and the mamono came forth with his own body flying at a rapid speed.

Brago smirked, and I was able to catch a thrilled look in his eye as he jumped forward, stopping the enemy with just one hand as I took a step back. Suddenly, the shark-resembling demon jumped out from behind and bared its many teeth at me, grinning evilly.

"You fool, can't hide now!"

I smirked as I spun around and ducked while Brago chucked the demon he stopped in the other's direction, hitting them as they flew across the field, screaming all the way.

"You're the fool!" Brago snarled as he jerked his head in my direction and I nodded, whipping out the black book in front of me, calling out the Giganoreisu spell. The even more powerful blast of energy shot out and hit the two mamono as they shrieked even louder.

Once the spell ended, I had to turn around and dodge another barrage of attacks coming forth our way as I ran to a different spot. Brago ended up going to a different section of the rooftop to battle more mamono so we were separated, but I wasn't concerned. I could handle myself and I certainly knew Brago could as well.

I had to snap out of my thoughts as a mamono with a large green hat jumped out at me, grinning as he swept forward. His bookkeeper called out a spell and his hand glowed with energy as he flung his fist forward. I jumped backwards just in time to kick his hand away as he stared at me in disbelief. Taking the staff I had brought with me, I hit him a couple of times upside the head and kicked him away once more.

He landed on his stomach, sputtering out some blood as he turned around and snarled. "You stupid human, you shouldn't be able to…" He stopped in mid sentence as his eyes widened. Right in front of him stood Brago.

My companion smirked. "Idiot."

"_Giganoreisu!"_ I shouted, and Brago knocked the demon out of the way with the powerful discharge of gravity.

The both of us turned around, glancing at the many demons and mind-controlled humans there. Some of the mamono flinched when we gave them eye contact, but their nerves were settled by a little more 'word of confidence' from Zophise up above.

"You idiots, don't be afraid of them, didn't I tell you to use your numbers to attack them? Defeat them, _now_!"

After that, everything was clear. They wouldn't let us go so easily, but then again, neither would we. I turned to Brago, holding out the book in front of me, and said, "Brago, get rid of every one of them!"

He chuckled lowly before running towards the crowd of oncoming demons. I ran after him, holding onto his book just a little tighter as I dodged one of the mamono that could fly as he shot some gun-like spell at me. I avoided the blasts easily and called out to Brago, to which he turned around so I could cast another spell towards the demon.

I watched as he was thrown backwards and landed atop another demon, which Brago and I ignored as we headed towards the larger group. One of the demons from earlier that shot out the pink blast then started to throw more in the darker demon's direction, but as I watched him run, I couldn't help but feel glad that he was on my team.

Shaking away the thoughts, I decided to keep focused on the battle. Brago had already beaten up that mamono a little and a much larger one that almost resembled a worm was heading in my direction. It threw itself down upon the ground and I had to jump out of the way before I was hit, but I spun back around and cast another spell, to which Brago used to knock away the demon.

"_Gou Gairon!"_

Another spell came forth, this time in the form of many whips. I used my dance practice lessons from many years ago to help me, and I managed to jump over all of the whips and avoid every swift attack made in order to reach the demon that performed the spell. Again, I used the staff I held to whack the mamono around a little as I dodged even more of his allies coming forth, fighting them back a little as I kicked them around.

I threw my staff around me, causing the emerald atop it to detach again, only to have it hit the heads of a couple more demons that were jumping forth.

When they were thrown backwards, clutching their faces, I turned and looked at all the others that had surrounded me. I smirked, clicked the button on my staff to make the jewel return to the top, and held out the rod.

"Who's next…?"

There was a whisper amongst the demons as some took a step back from me. To the side, I could see Brago throw down another demon and step on his back, but then he shouted, "Sherry, above!" and I turned to look.

Up in the sky above where the flying millennium demons were came forth many more attacks. Unfortunately, I had forgotten all about them, and my mouth hung somewhat open as the different spells came forth.

I watched blankly as Brago ran forth, climbing onto one of the taller demons that stood on ground as he grabbed his head and somehow flung him into the air only to have the demon take the hit of the attacks himself. I turned to look at him. During times like these… I had forgotten just how _powerful_ he was. I wonder… did I really hold him back when my personality had been removed?

"Sherry, wake up already!" Brago snarled as I blinked and looked at him. "We're in the middle of a battle!"

Blinking, I shook my head, snapping back to reality. "R-right!" I took a step forward next to him and opened up the book while the demons in the air stared at us in disbelief and turned a page in the black book, glancing down at the spells we had.

A smile traced my lips as my eyes landed upon one of the new spells we had acquired. In reality, we had obtained this spell very shortly after the Dioga Gurabidon. Even though Brago said we had to start over from spell one when my memory and personality were stolen, I had a hunch that my even if this was true, we were still gaining spells even if we couldn't see them.

"Now," I murmured, "We should end this. _Bidomu Gurabirei!_"

Brago raised his hands into the air as the new spell began to take place. He shot out an energy, but it wasn't seen until all the demons (save Zophise) hovering in the air were quickly thrown to the grown as they all crashed. The ground rattled and Brago smirked as he ran forward to fight the new found prey.

But the two demons he had been aiming for jumped out of the way and ran towards me in a blind fury. Maybe Brago hadn't let them go, he knew we had obtained more than just one new spell. In fact, there was one that was perfect for this situation.

Throwing out the black book once more, I called out the next new spell: "_Rioru Reisu!"_

With that, Brago spun around and launched a double shot of Reisu, except this time the two blasts were green instead of the tradition purple I always saw. The blasts of Reisu hit the demons as they were thrown past me on both sides, and I stood up to watch them as they fell.

Brago turned around to face me and smirked before running off to battle more of the mamono, which I joined in afterwards. Now that all of the demons were weakened, I would be able to knock the humans out of the way… _That is, if we were to do _that_ spell at the end…_

So Brago and I continued fighting with all our might, throwing the humans onto the other side of the line I had drawn and burning some of the books if I could. After a few more minutes of fighting, it finally came to a point where all of the millennium mamono were so weakened that they all fell down, exhausted, while I used weaker spells such as Reisu to move the humans onto the side where, Gash and the others were.

Finally, I used one more Reisu to throw the last human onto the other side, where I motioned Brago to follow as we ran over to the border.

Standing behind the line, I held the black book in front of me as Brago stood with this arm outstretched. I nodded my head, and, flipping through the pages until I landed on the spell we needed, began to muster all the strength I could find within myself.

I had to use as much power as I could in this spell, I had to—we needed the power!

Through all the commotion, I could barely hear Kiyomaro shriek out to his companions to move, obviously sensing the power of the spell that I was about to summon. I inhaled a deep breath before calling the most powerful spell we had to date:

"_Baberuga Gurabidon!"_

There was a slight pause in the air as soon as the spell's name escaped my lips. In a frightening speed, everything seemed to be sucked forward as the sudden surge of energy escaped Brago's hands and all gravity was pushed downwards in a swift movement. I could feel the sudden rumble of the ruins beneath me as sections of the stone were crushed to ashes with Brago's power, and I gave forth all my energy into keeping that strength going.

Almost going temporarily deaf and the pounding noise this energy brought out, I watched with an intense glare as the millennium demons shrieked as they were immediately forced down. I knew their books were automatically burning upon seeing a few begin to quickly disappear, and before I knew it, the spell was over.

I closed my eyes as I caught my breath briefly; the dust was clearing and I could hear the whimpering of Gash and his friends behind me. Glancing behind me, I could see that they were all huddled together, inching away from the line I had created with my staff and at the large, open hole that was created from the newly revealed spell.

Turning away, I looked up into the air and met Zophise's gaze. The corners of my lips gently turned upwards into a smirk and I laughed softly, only adding to the demon's aggravation.

"Zophise, I never fully introduced myself that day we met," I said calmly, my eyes glittering as my brows slowly began to turn down into a slight frown. "Bonjour, my name is Sherry Belmond, and I'm here to take back Koko."


	6. Confrontation

_**IMPORTANT NOTE:** Ummn... yeah... because i couldn't think of a good ending for the previous chapter and i now have, the ending to the last chapter has been changed. I highly reccomend going over the ending before you read this chapter. XD; THANKIES:3_

_Anyway... o.o; Sorry for the late update. I've been extremely busy with school and fanart over on DA. Speaking of fanart..._

_Roz (EtherealSinger/Fiwen) drew an awesome picture from a scene in Erased. GO SEE IT OR I'LL THROW THIS SHOE AT YOU. :3 Y'all should recognize the scene if you read Erased. XD (Oh, and i WOULD put the link to it in here, but some of the symbols wouldn't show up so y'all just have to go and find it yourselves. XD)_

_o.o ... And has ANYBODY scene the horrid Spanish dub of Zatch Bell? BRAGO HAS A **FREAKIN' HIGH PITCHED VOICE**! EVEN **SHERRY'S** IS DEEPER THAN HIS! SOMEBODY **SAVE ME**! ;-;_

_-screams and hides in a corner-_

_Disclaimer: I own nothing of Gash Bell or even that wonderful piece of art that Roz so kindly drew. And i'm so happy i don't own the Spanish dub, as it is capable of giving me nightmares. o-o_

* * *

**Lost and Found**

**6**

**Confrontation**

Zophise was irritated beyond comprehension, I could easily tell. His hands were curled into tight fists and he was gritting his teeth together tightly, looking as though he didn't know what to say as he stumbled upon his words. "You—you bas_t_ards—you—how—how—you _damned, you!!_"

I laughed softly at his agitation, the wind blowing my blonde hair past my f ace just a little as I took a step forward. My golden brows lowered just a little as I spoke, marveling at how I could see the irritation hidden behind those evil orbs.

"Zophise, you have still yet to tell me where Koko is."

The demon hovering above glared at me still as he straitened his back, taking a deep breath as he slowly regained his composure. "You really want to see that unrecognizable _friend_ of yours?" he said after a moment, resting his hands behind his back as his eyes slowly converted back to that dark, black color.

My golden brows lowered even more as a deep feeling of fury began to overwhelm me; it was difficult to keep control, but I managed, yet I couldn't help but glare at the demon as the feelings of hate were quickly aroused.

There was a long, steady moment of silence as the feeling of pressure overwhelmed everyone standing in the area. I paused for a moment before briefly glancing over at Brago and then to where Gash and his group was behind us; they were all staring at us with wide, curious eyes.

"You four stay here," I commanded sternly, soon afterwards turning back around as I redirected my gaze to the ground, mentally imaging Zophise being defeated by my hands. "We'll take care of Zophise."

An immediate rush of voices soon followed.

"But how will you—?"

"Sherry!"

"Meru mei!"

"I can't let you!"

My eyes widened as I turned around to face the group, my azure eyes staring at them intensely as Gash immediately ran up in front of his allies. He gritted his teeth before shaking his head and clenching his fists, speaking to me in a quick and determined voice.

"Sherry! Zophise is _everyone's_ enemy, you can't just fight him by yourself!" the demon child said quickly, his golden eyes wide. "We aren't here for no reason—we're here to fight him together, so we can free those that are put under his spell! You can't run off and fight him alone!"

Kiyomaro and the others seemed to be more encouraged when they heard the small demon's little speech, as his Japanese bookkeeper then turned around with a wide smile on his face, determined to help prove the point. "Yes! Sherry, there's a reason why we're here, and we're going to help y—"

"_I don't need your he_l_p!_" I said angrily, my brows furrowing even deeper together. My annoyance was rising to its peak and the child's speech was beginning to bore me.

Brago, who also seemed to be rather tense with the tedious situation, must have sensed my feelings, as he walked in front of me, his hands still in his pockets, facing the others. "If you're so stupid, you'll have to fight _me_ first!" he said irritably, bearing his teeth as he smirked when Gash gasped.

"Child of the red book," I began to state simply, but then paused. "No… _Gash_, yes? I understand you want to fight Zophise because of the others he's hurt. But there's someone very precious to me that I must save, you can't possibly understand how I feel."

I lowered my gaze for a moment, the emotion beginning to well up inside me again as I tried not to get carried away. I held back the tears forming and shot my head up, my eyes ablaze with every feeling of hatred and despise for the creature that had stolen my friend.

"Even if I _die_, I'll take her back for sure!" I said heatedly, clenching my fists tightly together. "I cannot allow her to be in the hands of Zophise any longer!"

"But—!" whined Gash as he held his breath, but then suddenly his bookkeeper interjected, now standing up.

"You can't blame him if he wants to help!" shouted the angry teen, his light brown eyes mixed with a furious fire. "He's not the only one, we all want to help too!"

"Kiyomaro!"

Everyone turned his or her gaze towards the other man beside Gash's bookkeeper, his green eyes fixated upon the Japanese teen. I eyed him suspiciously as he began to talk, his voice dripping with assurance.

"Kiyomaro, you have to let Sherry and Brago be," he said, holding onto who I suspected was his mamono, the strange horse demon I noticed before. The demon glanced at the man as well as everyone else, all curious to what else he had to say. "Do you have anymore strength of heart yet? Do you have it?"

The other froze as his eyes widened, stammering a little as he glanced away. "I-iie…"

"Then let the two be as we go for the Moon Stone!" said the blonde haired man, now standing up with his demon partner. "Then we can come back and help as soon as our strength of heart is recovered!"

"That won't be necessary, nonetheless possible," I quickly intervened, and everyone looked at me as I continued to glare. "Zophise is going to be _dead_ by the time you come back, don't bother coming back."

"You're all a bunch of fools!" the said demon hovering above shouted out, clenching his fists even tighter together. "You think you can beat me so easily, Miss Sherry? I'll think not! Come, I'll take you to the battlefield, to your so called _friend_!"

The demon started to float higher into the sky and away from where we stood, and it was then I realized if we didn't catch up, then Zophise would leave us. I quickly said this to Brago and he nodded as he suddenly wrapped his arm around my waist again, causing me to blush, and jumped over the large hole we created onto the other side.

Just as we landed onto the cold, hard stone floor, I glanced back behind me and saw that same, curious expression upon Kiyomaro's face. My face flushed a little and I quickly faced forward to where Zophise was flying off, and to where Brago had already gotten a head start.

"Sherry!" my mamono companion said angrily, turning to look at me. "Hurry up!!"

I nodded my head and quickly pushed away the thoughts I had only moments ago and ran forward, forgetting about the questionable look Kiyomaro had on his face, or why Brago kept wrapping his arm around my waist to pick me up. Instead, I sprinted forth, attempting to catch up with the two demons ahead of me. A long and harsh tiresome battle was ahead of me and I couldn't let Zophise escape. To win this, all of my effort to get here and strength within had to be used; there was no such thing as losing this time.

_It was win or die._

-o-o-o-o-o-

"_Radomu!"_

My ears twitched at the familiar voice that echoed throughout the cliffs, bouncing off the rocky walls surrounding Brago and I as we dashed forth, chasing after Zophise. The said demon raised his hand into the air and shot a pink beam of energy towards us, which we both avoided easily.

For perhaps about ten minutes now, Brago and I had been following Zophise as he led us deep into the bare, rocky mountains outside of the ruins, separated from the lush forests. I had no idea where we were going or how much longer more it'd take to get there, but no matter what it took, I was willing! Koko's happiness was at stake!

There was an explosion behind us where the spell hit contact but Brago and I ignored this and continued forth, chasing after the demon flying through the air. Scowling, I whipped out the black book and called out the Reisu spell. My companion shot forth the spiraling ball of gravity towards the other mamono, who dodged it easily and chuckled.

"My, my, is that all you've got?" laughed Zophise cruelly as he continued to fly ahead; he turned around to face us as he flew backwards, eyeing us with a sly grin. "Even Koko is stronger than you, Miss Sherry!"

I felt the anger rising within me. "Shut up!" I screamed, and flipped the page in Brago's book. "_Giganoreisu_!"

Brago launched another ball of gravity, except this time it was much larger and more powerful. The Giganoreisu spell quickly formed in the palm of his hand and increased to a large size before it was set off towards the flying demon. My ears twitched and my heart skipped a beat when I heard that familiar voice again…

"_Rondo Radomu_!"

A green, whip-like spell formed in Zophise's palm as he smirked, throwing the whip down at the Giganoreisu spell, causing them both to explode upon contact. Brago and I both stopped for a moment to block the swift, oncoming dust from the two spells' collision as we moved our hands to our faces. When the smoke cleared we both looked up and saw Zophise hovering up above, smirking wickedly.

"Ah, you two have been so close together with your hearts united, yet you can't even hit me with your simplest spells," Zophise sneered and my eyes widened. "Such a shame."

I didn't chase after him but instead froze in my standing place, my azure eyes wide. The demon chuckled mirthlessly as he stared down at me, bearing his pointed teeth in a smirk.

"W-what do you mean by that?!" I asked quickly, taking a slight step forward as my eyebrows pulled down into a frown.

The demon chuckled, his sinister voice echoing throughout the area, ringing in my ears—taunting me. My eyes widened even more at his next words. "Don't think I'm that stupid, I've seen your intimate moments together. Nothing can escape my eye, I can see everything!"

Immediately I felt a blush take over my features as ma warm feeling spread over my face, my heart slightly pounding against my chest just a little harder. The grip on my staff loosened just slightly as my hands moistened, and I tried to regain control of myself.

Before I could do anything, however, of all people, or demons in this case, it was Brago who stepped forward first. "Tell me what you're saying, you bastard!" yelled the dark demon. I saw how his ruby red orbs had disappeared, only leaving white within his eyes. There was no doubt he seemed angry about this… frankly, I was still speechless, and was helplessly left to just stare at the two.

The other demon chuckled even more, only before floating away, forcing us to resume the chase. "I think you know very well what I mean!" he shouted so we could hear him as he flew off in the same direction again.

For a moment I stalled, still dumbstruck. How… how could he know what happened between Brago and I?! That… that's impossible! That… it…!

"Sherry, hurry up!" said my dark companion angrily, tugging at my arm. "We'll lose him if you don't _move it_!"

I nodded dumbly before running forward, my mind still fogged up from what he said. Shaking my head and pushing all thoughts away again, I continued forth, following Brago and the cruel demon before us. No, no, I just won't think about it, I won't at all! I won't…

"Like I said, it's a shame really," called Zophise from above and the only thing I could hear was his voice as everything else was blocked out. My eyes widened still and I stared at him as he turned around and grinned at me, bearing a sinister, mocking grin… "Miss Sherry, you could have lost your innocence to your own mamono partner, and you wouldn't have even known it!"

"Shut the hell up!" I heard Brago call, and I blankly turned to get a glimpse of his face as we ran forward. His crimson orbs were still gone and his features were pulled into a deep, angry frown, he was extremely agitated at this point, that was something _anyone_ could have stated.

"Oh, but it's true! You're the one who took control of your own bookkeeper," said Zophise tauntingly and my heart pounded even faster. What was he talking about?? "It's just like you, Brago, to never know when to stop yourself. You're so ignorant about things!"

"Sherry, cast a spell!" Brago's words woke me up from my trance and I quickly glanced down to the black spell book in my hands, the strange words already glowing from the emotion stirring inside of me.

"_G-Giganoreisu!"_

I wasn't even paying attention as Brago shot out the same spell from before, or when Zophise dodged it yet again. My mind was still muddled with the sudden and new thoughts swimming through my head, the feeling of confusion overwhelming me. Obviously Zophise was referring to something that had happened while my other personality had been in control, but… just what else was there that went on? When I woke up that first time… Brago had been furiously kissing me… What could have… could he have gone overboard if I didn't wake up?! Just what the hell had been going on here?

"Ha, ha, ha, ha! Miss Sherry, we are at the battlefield, I hope you know."

I blankly stared up at where Zophise was floating high into the air, now slowly starting to drift down to the ground, a little ways off from where Brago and I stood. It was then I noticed that there was a strange looking helmet set upon a large rock. Straining my eyes to get a better look at it, I noticed that there was a beautiful gem placed on the forehead of the thing. Right there, Zophise then picked up the helmet and placed it onto his head, afterwards turning to face both Brago and I.

"This will hold you off for a while," said the demon with another smirk as he began to rise into the air. I couldn't help but not pay attention as the images of what had happened that night when I woke up in Brago's embrace slowly drift into my mind… I was forced to shake them away.

"Sherry," Brago called, somewhat startling me as I jumped and stared in his direction. "Get ready," he stated, and turned to glance up at Zophise again. "There's something odd going on…"

"Where's Koko?" I suddenly blurted out when I finally snapped back to reality. Glancing around, I didn't see a single sign of her. Up to where the other demon was, there was a chuckle, and then a series of laughter.

"Oh, Koko's not here right now. In fact, she won't have to be here. Your end is _now_."


	7. Complications

_...Just so you know, i **hate** this chapter._

_Writer's block has been such a pest with me. But i know it's because i absolutely despise writing battle scenes, so i tend to procrastinate and delay and not do too well with it all. Meh, but honestly, i had to get this chapter over with. But it kept teasing me... i've been trying to write in more detail lately but it's kind of hard to do that with a fight scene and keep it interesting and fast paced. -needs to work on those skills- So when i reached a certain page i realized i was spending too much time on detail and not enough fight. So that ... really doesn't help. D:_

_And i apologize for two things: what i just said, and the long wait. Again, i just hate fights. But, luckily, there'll be much more interesting things happening next chapter, i promise! ;o;_

_...I just had to get this one over with. ono;_

_Disclaimer: I own nothing of Gash Bell whatsoever. I've state this enough to hopefully get the point through._

_Oya, and i'm not sure if the email system is working at the moment (again -w-), so sorry if the review replies come in late._

* * *

**Lost and Found**

**7**

**Complications**

I stared blankly as the demon above chuckled a little more, his yellow-red eyes gleaming through the holes of the metal helmet he now adorned. The sun's rays made the metallic headdress glimmer in the light, and I squinted my eyes to try and figure out what could possibly be so special about this simple… _thing_.

"Ha, ha, ha, ha, Miss Sherry, you look so confused," chuckled Zophise as he loomed over our heads, smirking highly as if he knew something Brago and I didn't, as if he had something very special in store for us. Like a best friend holding a surprise birthday party for the lucky person they had known for years, except this time it wasn't a good thing, I knew that. Instead, I knew it would delay the battle, the real fight, where I would finally see Koko.

"Sherry," Brago suddenly called, and I turned slowly to look into his dark, clouded eyes, and I nodded as he stared at me intently. There was only one way to find out what was so great about this stupid helmet…

"_Giganoreisu_!" I shouted, and my demon partner raised his arm as the powerful waves of energy gathered in his palm, taking the form of a variety of purple colors, and he shot out the powerful spell of gravity as soon as it grew to be a little less than twice his size.

In a quick swoop, the spell climbed height as it rushed towards Zophise, but my eyes widened when I noticed that the demon wasn't hesitating, he was just floating there, watching with a broad, toothy grin as the energy rushed at him, head-on.

There was an explosion as the Giganoreisu came in contact with the demon, and Brago and I both stared in suspense as the smoke slowly died down, the both of us waiting impatiently. I held my breath as the last bit of dust began to die down, but when the smoke finally disappeared, I released it with a gasp.

Zophise was still standing there, unaffected by the spell, a see-through wall visibly surrounding his body.

"Ha! You're all so foolish!" Zophise cried in glee as he pointed to the small gem implanted in the middle of the silver helmet. "This shield created from the Moon Stone will protect me, I won't have a need to waste spells to block your own! You two will both die here!"

I couldn't help but stare in shock upon what this meant. Somehow he had come up with this strange… _shield_, where he didn't even need a spell to be cast in order to protect him. Why, how low could this damn demon get? The _coward_!

"Sherry!" shouted Brago suddenly and I woke up from my trance. Right as I awoke, a Radomu spell was heading strait towards me, but I jumped out of the way just in time, avoiding the explosion created as the pink ball of energy hit the ground, sending pebbles flying in different directions.

Quickly moving to a different position, I held Brago's black spell book close to my chest as I stared up at Zophise and his mischievous expression. "_Reisu_!" I called, putting a decent amount of energy into the weakest spell we had. Yet as it was our weakest, it was our quickest, and the tiny ball of purple gravity shot out at Zophise in a surprise attack. Again, there was a loud explosion, and we both waited as the smoke died down once more, but before it cleared, a chilling, haunting laughter began to fill my ears…

"Ha, ha, ha, Miss Sherry! Do you really think that your measly spells will be of help? I told you already—_this will be your end_!"

-o-o-o-o-o-

After Zophise revealed his special little gem, I couldn't have expected the fight to have lasted this long. Well, perhaps I could, but I figured that the jewel's power had to give in sometime or another, or at least Brago and I could have worn down his shields from our attacks enough to cause it to break. No, with the Moon Stone still active, his shields would be new and refreshed each time. There was only hope that it would give in, so Brago and I persisted through.

For sometime now, my demon partner and I had been mostly dodging the bombardment of attacks sent by Zophise, wasting valuable time simply avoiding his weakest spells. Weak as they may be, though, they were still stronger than ordinary mamono spells. Yet while recovering from avoiding his spells, we would send an attack of our own, only to be proven useless yet again from that annoying shield.

"_Giganoreisu_!" I shouted as I jumped off from a rock, avoiding one of Zophise's attacks. Brago, who was on the same ledge as I, leapt into the air to get closer to where the other demon was hovering, and shot out the powerful ball of gravity from his palm.

Like déjà vu, Zophise was protected from the same, clear shield yet again as he chuckled lowly, obviously amused by the useless attacks we kept shooting his way.

Landing on the solid, rocky ground, I gasped for breath as I stared up in the demon's direction yet again, clutching onto Brago's book and the staff I had carried with me. My hands were beginning to feel moist with sweat, and I realized that we were losing valuable energy by sending pointless attacks after another, over and over again as we drained ourselves of energy. My mouth was beginning to feel somewhat dry and sweat was trickling down my forehead, but I ignored these discomforts and gritted my teeth as Zophise began to speak yet again.

"Tch, didn't I tell you it would be pointless?" he taunted with amusement. "No matter how hard you try, your attempts at hitting me will be fruitless." I could see the smug gleam in his eye through the holes of his helmet as he grinned, bearing his fangs with glee. "You're all so incredibly stupid."

I could feel the anger beginning to rise within me, but then something unexpected happened. There was a small cracking sound that could barely be heard, and then suddenly, the jewel on the helmet Zophise adorned shattered into tiny pieces, and everyone stared in astonishment at the event as the shimmering fragments of the ornament fell.

Being the most surprised out of us all, Zophise blinked for a moment as his mouth hung open, watching the tiny pieces of his precious jewel fall to the ground below, now completely and utterly useless. There was an unsteady pause, and he turned to look back at the ruins that were at least a couple of miles away from us at this point, staring in almost disbelief.

After a moment of unsteady silence, the cruel demon up above turned to look down at us as his helmet suddenly split in two, the metal pieces falling to the ground to meet the fragmented remains of the Moon Stone jewel that had protected him. When the mask broke, the look of pure astonishment was revealed in his expression, which suddenly turned to a fowl scowl.

"Heh, it looks like your precious _stone_ isn't of any use anymore," Brago stated with a triumphant smirk, stepping forward with a deathly gleam in his eye. Hearing him say that, it dawned on me as well of just what this meant, and I too couldn't help but feel that the tables had been turned. We had an advantage now!

"Yes, you have no more shield to protect you anymore, Zophise," I added, bearing my own smirk as well. "The fight can be played fairly now, no more cheats!"

"Tch," the other frowned and his red-yellow eyes narrowed. "You think so, hm? The fight's only becoming more interesting, you have nothing against me!"

"Sherry, cast a spell," Brago called in an annoyed tone, and I knew he was getting impatient. Nodding my head, I held out the black book and took a deep breath, then cast one of our most powerful spells we had.

"_Dioga Gurabidon!"_

Energy began to rapidly pull together in Brago's palm as the spell began to take shape, and a different assortment of vibrant colors started to swirl together as the overwhelming ball of gravity formed in his hand. My demon partner shot out the spell as it swooped towards our enemy at a quick speed. Yet out of the blue, a voice reached my ears that sent a tug in my heart, and I knew it could only belong to one person…

"_Gigarado Shirudo!"_

Holding out his hands with a blank expression upon his face, Zophise summoned a swirling barrier of yellow and red, which completely blocked the Dioga Gurabidon and both spells vanished in a large explosion, sending dust flying in all directions.

I quickly shielded my face with my hands to avoid getting anything in my eyes, but the deafening sound of the blast was soon replaced with the echoing sounds of gentle footsteps. My heart began to pound harder and harder as a figure began to come into view through the mounds of smoke and dust, and I raised my head as the silhouette began to come into focus, a sweet yet sinister voice penetrating the silence as well.

"Eh, so you have strong spells too?"

My eyes slowly began to widen at the sound of that overly enchanting voice—a voice that I could recognize any day in any situation you could throw at me, even while delirious. Yet something was different about the soft, gentle sound I was so used to hearing—it was as though a touch of venom had tainted the innocence that was there, causing a string of cruelty to spread and take over. The pounding in my chest was becoming unbearable as the silhouette of the person standing there was revealed to be none other than my dear friend Koko.

I stared back at my friend, holding my breath now as my mouth unconsciously fell open. From within the smoke, two lilac eyes stared back at me, a strange, heart-retching gleam hidden within the once innocent gaze. Koko smirked at me, tilting her head to the side, and an unbearable sadness overwhelmed myself upon seeing this expression on her face.

Yet with the pain came a feeling of relief, seeing that dear Koko was still alive and okay. It would have hurt me so much to see if anything wrong had happened to her, but there was not much difference from the last time I had seen her, despite her hair was slightly longer and curled, and her attire was different. Instead of the plain dress she would usually wear along with her worn out sweater, she was dressed in a short, frilly white dress with a fluffy looking, reddish scarf around her neck. Her boots were also a deep, crimson red, and she stared back at me with the same, hurtful smile that I bore witness to the day she set her town on fire, a haunting memory.

"Bonjour, Sherry," she called, her voice dripping with the evil that had claimed her, and I stared, still not realizing what I was doing, and released the breath I had been holding for an unknown amount of time.

"Ko…ko," I murmured, still shocked that I was still staring at my dearest friend. In truth, I had not seen her for such a long time, it was practically unbearable to go on and not know where she was, or what she was up to, or even be able to _talk_ to her. In spite of it all, I felt elated to see her once again, and the tug in my chest was less heavy, but still….

For however long it was, I didn't keep track of, but one thing I knew, I couldn't help but stare at my beloved friend in shock. This was something I couldn't help, though, it had been so long since I last saw her… what else was I to do?

"Sherry," Koko hummed with a teasing tone, resting the hand which held that accursed book on her hip, "It's been so long, aren't you going to say hello to me? You'll hurt my feelings."

Snapping back to reality, my expression softened and I smiled weakly, though it was important to remind myself that this was not the real Koko speaking here. Koko would never be so bitter and sarcastic towards someone dear to her; I had to stay in control and not let this become too overwhelming. "You look well, Koko."

"Ha, it seems Miss Sherry likes your dress," chortled Zophise from up above, and I felt my blood beginning to boil once more.

"Really?" Koko inquired with that same, unfitting, malevolent grin, twirling about as she inspected the back of her large boots, afterwards glancing back up at me. "I'm glad that it's such a success!"

With that, Zophise began to laugh even more, staring down at us all below from where he remained in the air. "Yes, that's right, Miss Sherry, I didn't force her to wear that. It was her own choice."

I stared, clenching my teeth together tightly as I gripped the staff I held in my hand. "Shut your mouth!"

"Sherry! What Zophise says is true!"

"I said shut your—!" With an appalled stare, I stopped, realizing I was just about to turn around and insult my own precious friend. Inwardly gasping, I took a step backwards and continued to gawk and slightly shake. Koko grinned as she tilted the side of her head to the side, curiously staring back at me with a curt chuckle as she set her hands on her knees.

Up from above, Zophise called back down with his superior laugh, but then an unexpected voice penetrated the air. "You can stop your formalities," called Brago, whom was staring up at the other demon. Turning to look at my demon companion, I stared at him with the same, blank look with my mouth agape. He was glaring up at Zophise, bearing his teeth in irritation. "Let's end this now, Zophise! You've already made us waste enough time!"

"Fine, fine… you're still the same, always in a rush," the mamono mocked as he sighed somewhat, but his cocky grin never left his expression. I continued to stare back at Koko as she chuckled still. What was so funny, I didn't know, but I still couldn't believe what was going on. The fight was starting and I was a nervous wreck; just holding out my hand, one could see the trembling in my fingers—were my fears really that obvious?

When my grip tightened on Brago's book in my right hand, something within me awakened and I was reminded of what was truly going on. Brago and I did not come all this way just for me to stare at my friend that I had not seen in months, we came here to fight so that I would be able to free her from this horrid demon's grasp.

Staring back at Koko, who returned the gaze with a blank, bitter stare, I redirected my attention to her own demon partner—the one that would pay. With a hard frown, I held out the book, and called out the next spell.

"_Giganoreisu!"_

Right after I called out the spell, I felt myself beginning to shake slightly when Koko chuckled harshly and she held out her own book that began to glow a bright color and cast her own spell, _Teoradomu_. By the time Brago's spell had collided with their own blast of energy they released, I felt my stomach doing summersaults.

"Oh, what's this? A spell without its usual power?" The enemy demon began to taunt as the smoke from the collided spells faded. He chuckled a bit while Koko joined him, giggling a little as she tucked just a little bit of hair behind her ear.

"Sherry, why do you think Zophise is controlling me?" called the brunette softly, and I couldn't help but stare into her deep, lilac eyes. "He only gave me a chance to change, you know. I went with him on my own free will."

Immediately, I felt something within me break, and I had to hold back the tears from building in the corner of my eyes as I shook my head. "That's a lie! A downright lie! You aren't telling the truth!" Having had such an outburst, I had to calm myself down as I took a few deep breaths, still staring at my dear friend all the while.

"Oh?" The corners of Koko's lips upturned into a sly smile, and she glanced to the side briefly before continuing, her voice dripping with venom—intention to hurt. "How am I lying if it's the real me? You know I would never lie. I know what has been happening with you Sherry, and that's the truth." I froze, heart pounding faster. Koko's expression upturned into a malevolent smile. "It's ironic, isn't it Sherry? We're two friends that have known each other for years, and now we're both on different sides! A little cliché, isn't it?"

I could feel my hands beginning to shake as my friend continued speaking. My ears were beginning to hurt as the thumping of my heart worsened, the heartbeat pounding within my ears, all negative feelings beginning to overwhelm my mind. However, the next words spoken almost made my heart stop completely…

"What's even more funny is that we're both even intimate with our demons!" Koko said with a snickering tone to her voice as she stared at me with an innocent look that clashed to her sadistic tone. I stared blankly, my eyes wide in shock. "Isn't this a strange coincidence?"

For a brief moment, I nearly dropped the black book in my hands. The only thing I could really make out was that I was in deep shock, my mouth hanging open and my eyes shaking, the only thing bringing me back to reality was my sudden gasp and Brago's angry voice penetrating into the air.

"Sherry, don't listen to this woman!"

Blinking and turning to my right, I realized that Brago was no longer by my side, but had instead jumped forward towards where my friend stood, his fist outstretched into the air as he thrust a punch towards my dear friend. No reaction time was provided on my behalf, because as quick as Brago had dashed forward, Koko had already whipped out her own mamono book and had called forth a spell.

"_Rondo Radomu!"_

Matching both Brago and Koko's speed, Zophise too performed his spell at a quick pace, immediately summoning a green, glowing whip out of his palm that thrashed out and grabbed Brago around his waist, causing explosions to erupt as the darker demon was thrown backwards toward where I stood. Growling, my mamono partner stood up after being thrown a little behind me, and he turned his crimson gaze in my direction.

"Sherry! Get a grip on yourself and don't listen to her!" snarled my companion and I turned to look at him. I was dumbfounded and at a loss of words. Truly, there was nothing that could be said back to Koko, I was bewildered at the fact that she… knew just what was going on.

What scared me though, was not what she said about _me_, but _herself_.

She had been intimate with Zophise?!?

Koko…!

"Sherry," teased Koko as she tilted her head to the side, her short, chocolate-brown hair moving just slightly as she grinned. "Why are you so surprised if it's only the truth? Or is it you didn't know about Zophise and I?"

Immediately, I felt my heart quaver, and I stared in evermore shock at the situation. Brago was furious, I could tell by his tense position and how he snarled once more when Koko spoke. It would appear every time the subject between what happened between him and I while my personality was different was brought up, he would get thrown into a bad mood and wouldn't come out of it for at least a day. Not only that, but the emotion stirred within me about this situation was becoming more and more complex.

I was shaking, something that was way too obvious now. Tears were in the corner of my eyes, ready to fall, and all I could do was stand there, bewildered, staring at my best friend, who returned my gaze with an awkwardly contempt expression.

Just then I realized that this fight was going to be much more than I expected to be.

Secrets were about to be uncovered.


End file.
